Grief

People with dementia, their family members, caregivers, and staff who support them all experience some form of grief throughout the progression of the disease. Ambiguous loss is the set of feelings commonly experienced while grieving over the person with dementia long before she dies. A person experiencing ambiguous loss may feel that the person with dementia is leaving her a little bit each day. Learning about loss and grief due to Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias can help in better understanding the feelings that occur and may ease the process.

The Alzheimer Society has developed evidence-based practical resources written from a person-centred perspective to help health-care professionals understand and support those experiencing ambiguous loss and grief associated with dementia.